


Love Reunited

by Kamahontas



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: College, Cute, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Love, New Chapter in Life, Surprises, new home, promise rings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:22:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26666644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamahontas/pseuds/Kamahontas
Summary: Nancy has a huge surprise for Jonathan.
Relationships: Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler
Kudos: 14





	Love Reunited

Summer ended way too soon. These few weeks passed like it was a few days. And it was only 72 hours since Jonathan went back to New York from his vacation in Hawkins, but for Nancy, it felt like ages. She had a plan though. She was plotting it for months, ever since her boyfriend moved out with his mother and siblings. After a gap year after high school, she saved enough to apply to NYU. She didn’t want her parents to pay for her college, she wanted to earn for it herself. She got a scholarship for journalism, and now she was packed and ready to move to New York City. She wanted to be close to Jonathan. He was about to start his second year of photography, so they would be attending the same school again. From what she had found out, their lectures were in the same building, so they could see each other during breaks. Now, what she had to do was finding accommodation. And with this, she needed help. But she knew the right person to ask. Nancy ran downstairs and grabbed the phone, dialing the number.

“Mrs. Byers? Hi, this is Nancy. How are you?” She began, and even though Joice couldn’t see it, Nancy smiled.

“Nancy! How nice to hear from you! Jonathan isn’t home though. He went with Will to the bookshop. But they should be home soon.”

“I actually wanted to talk to you, Mrs. Byers. I want to surprise Jonathan. You still haven’t told him about my studies, have you?”

“No! Don’t worry, he still doesn’t know. When are you coming?”

“If nothing stops me on the road, I should be in New York in two days. I’m leaving tomorrow morning, but I will sleepover in a motel, in half the way.”

“Have you found a good accommodation in a dorm yet?” Mrs. Byers asked, seemingly concerned.

“Not yet, and this is why I’m calling you… I hoped you could help me find something? You surely know the city by now…”

“Oh come on, Nance! Our house is big, why don’t you stay with us? I promise, no checking on you and Jonathan!” Joice giggled playfully. “Please, don’t look for anything, just come to our place. You do have our address, right?”

For a moment Nancy was speechless, but then she smiled brightly and answered:

“Yes, yes, I do have your address. And thank you so much, Mrs. Byers! It… it means the world to me! Thank you so much!” She couldn’t stop smiling, and a happy tear rolled down her cheek. “I will see you in two days. I’ll call you when I’ll be leaving the motel, so you’ll know that I will come six or seven hours later. But… can we surprise Jonathan?”

“Of course! I’ll have El and Will keep Jonathan busy in town, so when you arrive you’ll have time to rest and then you’ll surprise him.”

“Thank you! I will see you soon then,” Nancy said with a smile and hang up the call. She then ran to her room.

It was late night when Nancy finished packing, but she wasn’t tired or sleepy, she was excited. In two days she would be reunited with Jonathan and this time for the time being. She was walking around her room to make sure she took everything needed when she heard a knock on her door. She walked to it and poked her head outside to see her brother.

“Mike? Why are you still up?” She asked, confused.

“I… I was wondering… could I go with you?” He asked shyly.

“What about school? The summer is nearly over, you start in a few days. I’m not going to New York for a day or two, but for college. I won’t be back until Thanksgiving or Christmas.”

“I have to see El. Please, I’ll come back by bus.”

“Mike,” Nancy said softly, ruffling her brother’s hair. “I know you miss her, but you can’t go for a day-long trip on your own. Mom would never agree about that. And I won’t be able to drive you back. But, how about you write El a letter, so I pass it to her?”

“Only if you promise to come for Thanksgiving with her and Will,” Mike replied stubbornly.

Nancy rolled her eyes but giggled.

“Okay, I promise. Now, go write the letter, okay? I’ll see you in the morning.”

When Mike went to his room, Nancy closed the door and just collapsed on her bed. She couldn’t even think of sleeping, even though she knew she needed to be rested in the morning to drive safely. She laid on the bed for what seemed like an eternity, but she finally fell asleep. In the morning, she was woken up by a loud knock on her door.

“Mike, seriously, you can give me the letter downstairs!” She groaned and covered her head with a pillow, but no sooner she had done this, someone jumped on her. It wasn’t only her brother, but his friends too.

“Come on! You gotta get up and see what we have for you!” The boys said almost simultaneously. 

Nancy had no choice, she had to sit up on her bed, there was no way she could have at least five minutes more for resting.

“Alright! Give me a few minutes to get dressed, okay?” The boys ran out of the room as fast as they entered it, so Nancy quickly got ready and went downstairs. “So, what’s this big deal, huh?” She asked with a smile.

“It’s in the backyard!” Mike replied excitedly and lead his sister outside.

“I made another Cerebro!” Dustin announced proudly. “So, when you’re in New York, we can all talk and pay no phone bills!”

Nancy couldn’t help it; she smiled widely and looked at her brother and his friends.

“Really? You made this just to keep in touch with me?”

“Yeah!”

“You’re incredible!” She had to admit that what they’ve done impressed her. These kids were surely one of a kind. They instructed Nancy on how to use their radio and then they all sat in the dining room to have breakfast together before she hit the road.

The rest of the day Nancy spent on driving. She wanted to do as much of the distance on the first day as possible, to enter New York City early. She did the first eight hours, so she was only about three away from Jonathan’s house. As she reached the motel, she called her parents to let them know that this part of the journey went well and that she was to stay for the night just ten miles from the border of the state of New York. She then went for a short walk around the motel, to spread her legs and relax. And just before going back to her room, she went to the nearby general store to get something for El. Mike asked his sister to get something for his girlfriend because until the last moment he hoped that Nancy would change her mind, and would let him got too. But she knew she had to say ‘no’, no matter how much she wanted to take Mike with her. He had to stay home and go back to school in a few days, and there was no way he’d be able to go home on time. Nancy would bet that Mike even tried to convince Steve to take him, but gladly even this Peter Pan grew up and learned what responsibility was. Things had changed over the last few years, and they mostly were changes for the better. And now, Nancy was starting a new chapter in her life, away from her hometown, but by the side of her boyfriend. She hoped they’d get engaged soon, but it had to be Johnathan’s initiative.

With these thoughts, she entered the store and started browsing through the alleys. Mike gave her ten dollars for the gift, but she decided to add another ten, to get something really special. And she wasn’t disappointed when on one of the shelves she saw a necklace made of two silver hearts that were creating one. Each piece had a separate chain. She smiled when she lifted it to get a closer look. That was definitely something Mike would love to get for El. She then searched for a moment to find something for Will too. And that was another lucky chance because she found the newest edition of the boy’s favorite board game. Mike didn’t say anything about getting something for Will, but Nancy wanted to do something for her brother. He deserved it.

She was about to go to the register when she spotted something that immediately made her think of Jonathan: a Polaroid camera. He was using his beloved Pentax, but she thought that maybe, at his studies he could also try instant photography. It was expensive, but she had the money saved for renting something in New York, but now when she was about to live with Jonathan and his family, she could spend this sum for something special for her boyfriend. With a big smile across her face, Nancy went to the register, paid for everything, and went back to her room. This was a good day; tiring, but good. She took a quick shower and went to sleep, to be up early in the morning. She packed everything and as she left her baggage in her car, she drove to the nearby gas station to have breakfast and get some fuel. She also called Joice to let her know that she was on the way, and would come earlier than expected.

“I’m only about three hours of driving from your house. Would it be too early?” She asked, fiddling with the cord of the phone in the booth.

“No, don’t worry. El and Will already took Jonathan out. They made him take them to the amusement park in Coney Island. They won’t be back before dinner.”

“Great! I’ll have time to prepare my surprise. I’ll see you in three hours then,” Nancy said with a huge smile and hang up the call. She then got back on the car and soon she entered the high way leading to New York City.

Three hours passed like a blink of an eye, and there she was on the Byers family’s porch. She knocked on the door and soon she was greeted by Joice.

“Nancy! So good to see you!” She said, giving the girl a strong hug.

“It’s great to see you too, Mrs. Byers,” Nancy replied, returning the hug. They talked for a moment in the kitchen, and then Joice showed Nancy to her new room. It was big and filled with sunlight. Nancy couldn’t imagine a more perfect place. Then, Joice went downstairs, letting Nancy for unpacking and have a moment of rest. Nancy used this moment to pack the presents. She wrapped the camera for Jonthan, together with an envelope with the acceptance letter she got from NYU, so he’d find out right away. The necklace for El, she put together with the letter from Mike and wrapped the game for Will too. When she was done, she joined Joice in the kitchen.

“Mrs. Byers, would you mind if I would call my parents?” She asked shyly.

“Nance, you don’t have to ask! You’re home. Do anything you want,” Joice said with a warm smile. 

“Thank you,” Nancy replied, touched by all the kindness she got. She did feel home and she knew this was her place in the world. She called home and told her parents that she got to Jonathan’s safely and then she gave her brother a very detailed description of what she got for Eleven. It took them nearly twenty minutes to finish the conversation and when Nancy finally hang up, she started helping Joice with dinner. 

The morning and afternoon were very exciting, but the evening seemed to be even better. No sooner they finished cooking and setting the table, Jonathan came back with El and Will. Nancy would remember her boyfriend’s face forever when he saw her, waiting for him in the living room.

“Nancy!” He exclaimed and immediately took her in his arms, lifting and twirling with her around the room. “What are you doing here?! How?! When?!”

“I came to you, by car, this morning after you left with your siblings,” she replied, giggling uncontrollably while wrapping her arms around Jonathan’s neck.

“What about your college?” He asked, still holding Nancy tight, but she already let her stand. “I thought you were going to the state university?”

“I’ll tell you later, okay?” She replied with a smile and brushed her lips against his. To her endless joy, Jonathan deppened it, and held her tighter. Being so close to him was the most wonderful thing in the world. It was her heaven, and it was to last forever. 

“Hope you didn’t give up the idea?”

“No, but I’ll explain everything later on. Don’t worry, I think you’re gonna like what you’ll hear,” she chuckled playfully. She then walked up to El and Will. “Thanks for help, you did great keeping Jonathan busy.”

“Hey! So you all knew that Nancy was coming?!” Jonathan asked, both puzzled and amused.

“Sure we did! But it was to be a surprise for you,” Joice explained. “And I think there are more surprises before us tonight, but maybe we’d have dinner first?”

It was already dark outside when they all went for a walk, wanting to show Nancy around. She hasn’t been here yet. It was always the Byers family coming to Hawkins after the moved out of the town. Nancy loved the surroundings. She expected the house to be somewhere close to Manhattan, but it was in a quiet neighborhood, in the suburbs of the city. It wasn’t as quiet as Hawkins, but Nancy loved it. Just two blocks away there were a few shops and a gas station, and even a small community library. A perfect place for students. They had everything they would need in walking distance.

“I thought you lived closer to the campus, to be honest. But you know, I love this place. I’m glad it’s not a busy area,” she said with a big smile, as they were slowly heading back. And then she remembered what was still in the trunk of her car. “I completely forgot! There’s something from Dustin and CO. in my car. Hope you remember how to put al parts of Cerebro together? Because I have no idea of it. I’m good with guns, but definitely not with electronics.”

“You brought Cerebro?!” El got excited.

“Yeah, it’s in my car. Go ahead and set it. The car is unlocked,” Nancy chuckled and watched her friends run home fast like two little bolts of lightning.

“You brought so much joy,” Jonathan smiled, and held Nancy’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “But I’m still worried, Nance. You’re here, but school starts in two days... “

“Don’t worry, please, everything is alright. Come on, I have something for you,” she said with a smile and led her boyfriend to her new room. From the bed, she took the biggest box and handed it to Jonathan. “There you go,” she said with a big warm smile. She then watched Jonathan unwrapping his present. His eyes widened when he saw the Polaroid.

“I figured you might want to try instant photography at some point,” Nancy explained with a chuckle. “I know your Pentax is better, but…”

“It’s perfect, Nance! I was thinking of getting one soon! Thank you!” He said with a bright smile and held Nancy tight. “You’re perfect, you know? How will I survive all these months without you?”

Nancy couldn’t help but chuckle at Jonathan’s remark.

“Check the envelope,” she said, handing him the file that was attached to the box. “It will explain everything.”

She then watched Jonathan opening the envelope and reading the letter. 

“I got it a few weeks ago,” she said softly and when she looked into her boyfriend’s eyes, she saw happy tears in them.

“You came for college… you applied to NYU… Nance…,” he whispered and held her even tighter. “It means we can see each other every day.”

“Not only see each other,” she giggled. “Your mom let me stay with you. So, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me forever.”

Jonathan didn’t respond, he just pressed a deep loving kiss to her lips, while his hands softly rested on her cheeks.

They lasted in the kiss for long. For long enough to run out of breath, so though not willingly, they finally pulled away, and looked into each other’s eyes. Nancy wanted to say something, but they heard Will calling from downstairs.

“We finished! Come on! Let’s try it together!”

“Coming!” Nancy and Jonathan replied at the same time, which of course made them laugh.

“We better go to them,” Nancy chuckled, and as she grabbed the presents for Will and Eleven, she took Jonathan’s hand and led him to the backyard.

She didn’t know what time it was when El and Will finally fell asleep. They loved their surprises and spent hours talking to Mike, thanking him. Joice had to force them to finally go to bed. It was a wonderful day. Nancy didn’t want it to end, even though she was excited about what was to happen in the nearest future. At this moment she was laying in bed, by Jonathan’s side, resting her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked after a long moment of soothing silence between them.

“That I’m the happiest girl alive. You know, our summer job at the newspaper office, last year, only ensured me that I want to be a journalist. And when you moved out of Hawkins, I knew where I should apply to college. Your mom knew, but I wanted to surprise you.”

“And you did. I still can’t believe it. When I was leaving, I was afraid you won’t want to talk to me after some time, but you moved here… why?” He asked, and again she could see tears in his eyes. Nancy would never think that Jonathan cared so much, that his love for her was this strong. She knew he loved her, but seeing how deep his feelings were melted her heart. She loved him too, more than anything.

“Because I love you,” she replied with a tender smile and softly brushed his cheek with her fingertips, wiping his tears away. “And I want to spend the rest of my life by your side.”

“Then, you might like my surprise for you,” Jonathan smiled and reached for something in the drawer of his night table. It was a little red heart-shaped box. He opened it, revealing two silver rings. “I wanted to do this on Thanksgiving, but I didn’t know you’d come. Tonight is a much better occasion though,” he said softly, and as he put his arm around Nancy’s shoulders, he slid one of the rings on her finger. “Nance, with this ring I promise to always love you, to be your support and your shelter. I promise to propose to you when we graduate, and then to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life by your side, and always make sure you are happy. I love you,” he said tenderly and kissed her lovingly. And when they pulled away, Nancy smiled again and slid the other ring on Jonathan’s finger.

“And with this ring, I promise to always love you too, and say ‘yes’ when you propose, and then to be your wife. I want to spend the rest of my days with you as well and to make you happy forever. I promise to always support you and to be your shelter. I promise to make you happy. I love you, Jonathan. I love you more than anything,” she said tenderly and kissed him again. It was more than just a kiss. It was sealing their relationship, their love for each other. Ever since today, they would always be together, no matter what, and it gave them endless happiness. They were together again, they were a couple, they were to get married. They were in their heaven on earth, their safe place. Their love reunited.


End file.
